Welcome to the Monday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Honoring its Pride Month tradition, Tell Me Why is free to keep until the end of June for the fifth year in a row
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/honoring-its-pride-month-tradition-tell-me-why-is-free-to-keep-until-the-end-of-june-for-the-fifth-year-in-a-row/
If you've been craving a choice-driven narrative experience with a supernatural kick, you might have your weekend plans set: Tell Me Why, an adventure game from the studio behind Life Is Strange, is free to keep on Steam right now.
There didn't seem to be an explanation on Dontnod's socials, but it follows a pattern that's persisted the last five years. When Pride Month rolls around, Tell Me Why goes free to keep. In a post on X last year, the studio asked that players spend what they might have on the game giving to a trans-inclusive charity. A couple you might consider are the Trevor Project or TransActual.
As for the game, it's an episodic story about Tyler Ronan, a trans man, and his sister Alyson. They have a psychic bond which proves crucial in investigating their mother's death in "small-town Alaska." It's the sort of thing you'll be familiar with if you played Life is Strange or the more recent Lost Records: Bloom & Rage; as adventure games go, it's less about neuron-searing puzzles and more about watching your narrative choices ricochet off each other.

More than 2 million people have played/been brutalized by Elden Ring Nightreign in its first 24 hours
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/more-than-2-million-people-have-played-been-brutalized-by-elden-ring-nightreign-in-its-first-24-hours/
Elden Ring Nightreign is here, and as I write this there are nearly 300,000 players roaming Limveld in pursuit of statistically-unlikely success in FromSoft's roguelike remix. The launch hasn't been without criticisms, many of which we shared in our Nightreign review, but that apparently hasn't slowed the influx of newly-christened Nightfarers.
In a tweet from the official Elden Ring X account, Bandai Namco announced that two million people have played Elden Ring Nightreign in its first 24 hours. "Darkness fell over Limveld, and two million Nightfarers rose up against it," Bandai Namco said. "Thank you for your support."
The spinoff title might have only reached a third of Elden Ring's day one player count, but that's still a huge number of players, equating to sales that many games published on Steam would be thrilled to attract in total across their entire lifespans.

GOG has launched the Plug In Digital Publisher Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts during 14 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250602_plugin_digital_publisher_sale.

Steam has three new deals and a few events:

• 911 Operator is going to be 80% off until the 5th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/503560/911_Operator/
• HAAK, that has a demo, gets a 50% discount until the 8th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1352930/HAAK/
• Outpath also has a demo and will be 60% off until the 15th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2237970/Outpath/
• These are the events:
  • The #TurnBasedThursdayFest 2025 is here with some upcoming games but it also has a lot of games on sale feauring tup to 90% discounts. The event will last until the 9th of June, but the discounts are another matter...: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TurnBasedThursdayFest2025
  • The Horror Game Awards Summer Showcase is full of upcoming titles of the genre and has some games on sale with up to 80% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45104824/sale/HorrorGameAwardsSummerShowcase
  • DevPlay Indie Festival 2025 lands with lots of upcoming games and demos and also up to 90% off games: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/DevPlayIndieFestival2025
  • The IGN LIVE 2025 won’t have its first Live event until next Saturday, but it will have some reveals until them. Meanwhile there are two games on sale, 10 and 66% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/IGNLIVE25

Humble Bundle presents its Power Up Pride Bundle, featuring up to 7 games to get during the next 28 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/power-up-pride.

And Fanatical has the following deals:

• The new Star Deal is Ravenswatch, 63% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/ravenswatch
• The NeuroVoider - Deluxe Edition is back, with a 20% discount during 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition
• The BYO Triple Pack (Summer 2025) launches with 17 titles to get in bundles of 3+ games during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-triple-pack

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.6874 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-6874

HIGHLIGHTS
>Intel Core Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:

• Power management optimization previously introduced in 32.0.101.6734 for handheld gaming devices now available for all Intel® Core™
  Ultra 200V series (codename Lunar Lake) devices. Delivering improved performance and frame pacing with lower power modes.

FIXED ISSUES
Intel Arc B-Series Graphics Products:

• Farming Simulator 25 (DX12) may exhibit flickering textures during gameplay
• Google Earth may experience an application crash

Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products:

• Autodesk Motion Builder may exhibit intermittent flickering on certain materials

Intel Core Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:

• Farming Simulator 25 (DX12) may exhibit flickering textures during gameplay
• The Last of Us Part II (DX12) may exhibit black pixel corruptions
• MechWarrior 5: Clans (DX12) may experience an application crash with certain XeSS presets enabled
• Blender 4.4 may fail to complete rendering while using Cycles render engine

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Elden Ring: Nightreign Gets Seamless Co-Op & Unlocked Framerate Mods
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/elden-ring-nightreign-gets-seamless-co-op-unlocked-framerate-mods/
Elden Ring: Nightreign has just been released on PC, and the first cool mods for it have appeared online. So, let’s take a closer look at them.
(...)
NIGHTREIGN does not have an unlocked framerate on PC. Instead, the framerate is locked at 60FPS. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the base game is also at 60FPS. Thankfully, though, there is a mod that allows you to unlock the framerate. It also lets you unlock the refresh rate for your monitor. You can download the mod from this link.
The second cool mod that you can download for Elden Ring: Nightreign is the Seamless Co-Op Mod. The first version of the Seamless Co-Op Mod adds a 2-player mode to the game. The good news is that Seamless Co-Op is compatible with the FPS Mod. As such, you can use both of them. Modder ‘Yui’ also plans to expand the capabilities of the mod in the future. So, curious to see what other features the modder will add to it. Still, if you want to play right now with a friend, this is a must-have mod.
Oh, and there is no reason to fear a possible ban. Seamless Co-Op prevents you from connecting to the game’s servers. Instead, the mod uses save files different from the vanilla version. Thus, there’s no way to get banned using this mod. Unless, of course, you modify it with the intent of connecting to vanilla players.
>> The article has one video.

Classic Resident Evil got amazing high-quality AI-enhanced FMVs
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/classic-resident-evil-got-amazing-high-quality-ai-enhanced-fmvs/
Last month, we informed you about the RE:Enhance Mods for the first three classic Resident Evil games. And today, I’m happy to report that SonicB00M has released a new version of his mod for the first RE game that overhauls all of its FMVs.
Going into more details, the modder carefully upscaled and interpolated the original 15fps FMV sequences to 960p24. He also color graded the live-action FMVs to make them feel less like ‘VHS tapes’ and more like 16mm grindhouse horror cinema. Plus, he completely redone the credits sequences that were left out of the SHDP.
The end result is truly amazing. At the end of the article, you can find a couple of shots from these new FMVs.
But wait, some of you will say. Does this look better than the original FMVs? Well, see for yourselves. SonicB00M has shared a comparison shot between the original and the upscaled videos. And, as you will see, the difference is night and day.
Not only do the FMVs look sharper, but they also retain the colors and art style of the original FMVs. We’ve already seen modders trying to improve the pre-rendered videos or FMVs for various games. However, this is by far the best AI FMV mod I’ve seen. So, take notes, modders. This is how you upscale the original low-quality videos of older games.
As said, this is part of the RE:Enhance Mod for Resident Evil 1. For those unaware, this mod enhances the pre-rendered backgrounds of RE. To achieve this, SonicB00M used AI tools. Moreover, he made thousands of manual edits to the backgrounds. The result is a game that can look crisper and more detailed than before.

XWVM, the X-Wing mod that lets you play the Star Wars classic remade in Unity, is finally available to download
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/xwvm-the-x-wing-mod-that-lets-you-play-the-star-wars-classic-remade-in-unity-is-finally-available-to-download/
Though we preferred TIE Fighter when it came to listing the best Star Wars games on PC, we did rate X-Wing quite highly on one important metric: it lets you fly a bloody X-Wing. The fantasy of flying to the rescue when a guy with a codename like Red Two shouts "I can't shake him!" is a highly specific one, but if you watched Star Wars at the right age you absolutely have that fantasy. X-Wing lets you fulfil it.
Unfortunately, it has some problems on modern PCs. The Special Edition won't even launch if you don't have a joystick plugged in, and while the Classic version and the Collector's CD-ROM version will let you play with mouse and keyboard, they run like butt. It's a 32-year-old game, but even on a high-end PC the framerate's inconsistent. And of course the spaceship models do look quite flat and blocky in the way you'd expect from 1993 graphics.
Which is why X-Wing Virtual Machine (XWVM) is such a glorious mod. At the base level it's a wrapper that lets you play X-Wing in Unity, meaning that it runs smoothly and at modern resolutions with adjustable settings—and it doesn't ask you to plug in a joystick even once. But add the HD asset pack on top, and you get new 3D models for not just the spaceships, but also the cockpits, and even the previously 2D planets that were there as backdrops. Oh yeah, and there's a full 3D model of the Death Star too.
Bonus features include VR support, a remastered digital version of the dynamic "iMuse" soundtrack, and improved in-flight mouse control. There's more to come, including support for TIE Fighter, but this first release is enough to get you playing. Note that if you don't install the HD asset pack you'll have menus replacing the 2D concourse and a virtual cockpit a la X-Wing Alliance, as apparently those were a struggle to get working at variable resolutions. So yeah, I highly recommend downloading the 2.5GB HD asset pack.
You'll need to own a copy of X-Wing, which you can find at Steam and GOG today, and then download the core mod for either Windows or Linux, and your optional extras (as well as HD assets there's a mod that adds additional in-flight mission dialogue). Unzip and run the downloaded exe to install XWVM, unpack the HD assets to the xwvm_Data directory, and finally run xwvm.exe. It should find your X-Wing install directory automatically, and then you'll be ready to enjoy X-Wing in glorious high-res 3D. At least, if you remember all the keyboard controls. Was it Alt-E to eject?
>> The article has an over 3 minutes video of the mod and boy, does it look better.

'The complexity of mods we can make just shot up big time': Oblivion Remastered modders breach a new frontier even without Bethesda support—making it play nice with Lua scripts
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/the-complexity-of-mods-we-can-make-just-shot-up-big-time-oblivion-remastered-modders-breach-a-new-frontier-even-without-bethesda-support-making-it-play-nice-with-lua-scripts/
As a man who writes for a living, I have no actual useful abilities. That means that—while I keep close track of the Bethesda modding scene—I often don't really understand what all the very smart people who work in it are actually speaking about. As far as I'm concerned, a 'script extender' means putting a load of white text into your screenplay to buff up the final wordcount.
So it must mean something if even I know it's a big deal that creators from the Oblivion Remastered Modding Community have just cracked getting the game to play nicer with Lua, announcing in a giddy Reddit post that "we just figured out how to make Oblivion's scripting engine call any function we want from a UE4SS Lua script."

GAMING NEWS

Hell is Us PC Requirements revealed, requires an NVIDIA RTX 4090 for 4K/Ultra/30FPS with DLSS
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/hell-is-us-pc-requirements-revealed-requires-an-nvidia-rtx-4090-for-4k-ultra-30fps-with-dlss/
Rogue Factor has revealed the PC system requirements for third-person action-adventure game, Hell is Us. And, from the looks of it, this will be a really heavy game, especially on Ultra Settings. So, let’s take a closer look at the PC specs.

Here is some concept art from EA’s canceled Black Panther
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/here-is-some-concept-art-from-eas-canceled-black-panther/
Last week, EA decided to cancel the Black Panther game that Cliffhanger Games has been working on. And from the looks of it, some concept art from it has been leaked online.

New leaked Battlefield 6 gameplay video shows off its destruction
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-leaked-battlefield-6-gameplay-video-shows-off-its-destruction/
Battlefield fans, here is something for you. YouTube’s ‘Shadi BF Veteran’ has shared a video from the alpha phase of Battlefield 6, showcasing its destruction system. This is a video that every BF should watch.

Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.01.1 Released & Fully Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/elden-ring-nightreign-patch-1-01-1-released-fully-detailed/
FromSoftware has just released Title Update 1.01.1 for Elden Ring: Nightreign and has shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

The Witcher 4’s tech to be featured at State of Unreal 2025
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-witcher-4s-tech-to-be-featured-at-state-of-unreal-2025/
CD Projekt has announced that it will showcase some of the tech and features of The Witcher 4 at the upcoming State of Unreal 2025 event. As such, we might get some pre-alpha in-engine footage from it.

Monday gaming news, part number two:

REPO 'literally saved semiwork as a studio' according to a new video published by developers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/repo-literally-saved-semiwork-as-a-studio-according-to-a-new-video-published-by-developers/
In a recent video published by semiwork about REPO's first update, developers shared a little insight into how they've responded to the sudden success of their co-op horror game. As it turns out, its popularity took the team by complete surprise and in a way was the saving grace semiwork needed to continue as a game studio.

The Kingmakers system requirements show that the hardest part of running the game may be finding 80 GB free for the install
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/the-kingmakers-system-requirements-show-that-the-hardest-part-of-running-the-game-may-be-finding-80-gb-free-for-the-install/
The Kingmakers system requirements have just been revealed, and it is looking incredibly easy to run. Given how ambitious the game is, and the fact that it's built in Unreal Engine 5 despite those specs, I can only hope it runs as easily as it is to play.
>> 80GB isn’t that much compared to other games.

This underwater city builder had me more emotionally invested in my corals than SimCity does in my human citizens, and you can try it at the next Steam Next Fest
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/this-underwater-city-builder-had-me-more-emotionally-invested-in-my-corals-than-simcity-does-in-my-human-citizens-and-you-can-try-it-at-the-next-steam-next-fest/
I love metropolitan city builders, but once I'm done turning fertile riverside plains into a mess of eight-lane highways and coal plants, I can't help but wonder if I've maybe been a net negative for the world around me. When I saw Life Below on Steam—a city builder all about constructing reefs that opens its Steam description with "the ocean is dying"—I was flooded with the exact blend of guilt and intrigue I look for in my entertainment.

The Witcher 3 is getting 'one more patch' that will add cross-platform mod support
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-witcher-3-is-getting-one-more-patch-that-will-add-cross-platform-mod-support/
CD Projekt isn't quite finished with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt just yet. The studio announced today that it's got "one more patch" in the works for Geralt's big adventure that will add cross-platform mod support across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S through mod.io.

ZeniMax QA union reaches a tentative contract agreement with Microsoft including 'substantial across-the-board wage increases,' worker protections, and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/zenimax-qa-union-reaches-a-tentative-contract-agreement-with-microsoft-including-substantial-across-the-board-wage-increases-worker-protections-and-more/
Just two months after voting to authorize a strike action over stalled negotiations with Microsoft, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA has announced a tentative contract agreement that includes "substantial across-the-board wage increases" along with new minimum salaries for employees, protections against arbitrary dismissal, grievance procedures, and a new policy for game credits "that clearly acknowledges the QA workers' contributions to the videogames they help create."

If you're playing Elden Ring Nightreign solo, every merchant carries a revive item, you can carry two at once, and there are more solo QoL changes coming next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/if-youre-playing-elden-ring-nightreign-solo-every-merchant-carries-a-revive-item-you-can-carry-two-at-once-and-there-are-more-solo-qol-changes-coming-next-week/
Yesterday, FromSoftware put out an unexpected day one patch for Elden Ring Nightreign that already included balance changes for the roguelike soulslike. The patch notes were characteristically terse, but they've already overhauled the solo experience, and we can expect another patch next week with further adjustments.
But if you're playing Nightreign solo right now, here's the tldr: Most (all?) merchants now carry a Wending Grace item that revives you to full health when you die at a night boss. This is only in singleplayer, you can carry two at a time, and you should buy one whenever you see it.
>> Those future changes coming next week are the patch from the DSOG article.

Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic confirms layoffs: 'The landscape is shifting, and with it, so must we'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/yooka-laylee-developer-playtonic-confirms-layoffs-the-landscape-is-shifting-and-with-it-so-must-we/
Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic Games has laid off an undisclosed number of employees, confirming reports of cuts shared by former employees on social media over the past week.

Path of Exile 2 director says GGG is learning from its mistakes while supporting 2 games at once: 'If you want to lock the date, you can't lock the features'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/path-of-exile-2-director-says-ggg-is-learning-from-its-mistakes-while-supporting-2-games-at-once-if-you-want-to-lock-the-date-you-cant-lock-the-features/
When Grinding Gear Games first announced Path of Exile 2, it made a promise: PoE1 wasn't going anywhere, and development on both titles would continue in parallel. Ten months after the last Path of Exile league, it's clear that the studio bit off a bit more than it can chew, but game director Jonathan Rogers was optimistic in a new interview with YouTuber Talkative Tri this week that things are close to being back on track.

One of the best puzzle games on Steam just got its first update in 11 years and is also verified for Steam Deck: 'We couldn't resist including some visual, aural, and input adjustments'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/one-of-the-best-puzzle-games-on-steam-just-got-its-first-update-in-11-years-and-is-also-verified-for-steam-deck-we-couldnt-resist-including-some-visual-aural-and-input-adjustments/
Have you played The Swapper? If not, you should swap whatever you're doing right now for playing The Swapper. Originally released back in 2013, it's a sci-fi puzzler that hinges on your ability to create clones of yourself, which then mimic your every movement. From this simple concept, The Swapper produces some delightfully brain-tangling puzzles, and a story that probes the question of personal identity with discomforting acuity. Oh, and it's all wrapped in eerie, Claymation-based art that still looks beautiful today.
But not beautiful enough, according to developers Facepalm games. Over the last week or so, Facepalm has been steadily uploading a sequence of updates to The Swapper's beta-build, culminating in the game's first proper Steam update in 11 years. "The original purpose of this release was addressing bit rot that had accumulated over the years," writes Facepalm in a Steam blog. "But we couldn't resist including some visual, aural and input adjustments that make the game feel a bit smoother."

This game about being trapped on a spaceship overgrown with a jungle that wants to eat you is basically Project Zomboid in space, and it looks absolutely terrifying
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/this-game-about-being-trapped-on-a-spaceship-overgrown-with-a-jungle-that-wants-to-eat-you-is-basically-project-zomboid-in-space-and-it-looks-absolutely-terrifying/
My favourite type of video game can be summarised as "something has gone wrong in space". Whether it's a shooter, immersive sim, strategy game, or kart racer, I'm always up for a game that's about dealing with a horrible problem in the most hostile environment of them all.
And wow, does Dandelion Void understand the meaning of the word "horrible". The pitch is you're trapped aboard a derelict generation ship that has, in the unknown expanse of time since your ship departed Earth in the late 20th century, been completely overgrown by extraterrestrial rainforest. Unlike most games set in abandoned spaceships, this jungle thrums and thrives with new life. On the face of it, this doesn't sound too bad, until you discover that life is rabidly hostile toward anything with fewer than seven legs.

Planet Coaster 2's latest update introduces crime and punishment to your theme park, adding pickpockets, vandals, and security guards to stop them
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/planet-coaster-2s-latest-update-introduces-crime-and-punishment-to-your-theme-park-adding-pickpockets-vandals-and-security-guards-to-stop-them/
I've always believed Planet Coaster 2 to be a better game than it's typically given credit for. But one issue I have with the sequel, and indeed, the series in general is that your park visitors are a bit dull.
(...)
Perhaps this is just what Disney adults are like, but either way, it doesn't make for a particularly engaging group of people to manage. Where's the friction? The complaints? The drama?
Well, update 5 for Planet Coaster 2 adds a bit of that in, sprinkling a criminal fraternity among your visitors. Now, pickpockets will prowl along the pathways of your park, aiming to fleece the pockets of other visitors. On top of that, parkgoers who are especially dissatisfied with your park will no longer just sulk. They'll actively engage in vandalism, booting over bins and kicking in benches. There's that rebellious spirit I'm after!

It's not just you: Elden Ring Nightreign's matchmaking is taking forever if it works at all, and there doesn't seem to be a fix⁠—aside from queueing with a full group
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/its-not-just-you-elden-ring-nightreigns-matchmaking-is-taking-forever-if-it-works-at-all-and-there-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-fix-aside-from-queueing-with-a-full-group/
First reported by Eurogamer, FromSoftware has acknowledged long matchmaking times for Elden Ring Nightreign despite having 2 million players and counting. The studio's initial suggested fixes are not particularly helpful, especially on PC, and the best solution right now is really just queueing with a full team of three.

Atomfall is getting a spooky DLC set on an offshore island that also lets you blast pretend pirates with a blunderbuss
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/atomfall-is-getting-a-spooky-dlc-set-on-an-offshore-island-that-also-lets-you-blast-pretend-pirates-with-a-blunderbuss/
Atomfall wasn't as good as it could have been when it launched in March, mainly due to its barebones combat and anaemic stealth and survival systems. But I nonetheless enjoyed exploring Rebellion's eerie take on the Lake District while unravelling the mystery behind the catastrophe at the Windscale Power Plant. I'd be more than happy to ramble through a little extra of that world, and it just so happens that more Atomfall will wash up on the Cumbrian coast next week.
The Wicked Isle DLC adds a whole new offshore region to Atomfall's map. Named Midsummer Island, this area unsurprisingly plays on the folk horror elements of the original. Expect to encounter a lot of druids and at least one wicker man, as well as new locations like a ruined abbey, and a pub called the Jolly Angler.

This gravity-defying dungeon crawler is basically Legend of Grimrock meets Portal, and while the trailer had me dizzy, the demo made me feel like a genius
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/this-gravity-defying-dungeon-crawler-is-basically-legend-of-grimrock-meets-portal-and-while-the-trailer-had-me-dizzy-the-demo-made-me-feel-like-a-genius/
There were a bunch of excellent-looking puzzle games revealed at this week's Thinky Direct, including a new mystery game from one of the designers of the Case of the Golden Idol, and a time-loop based "Metroidbrainia" (a portmanteau that caused me physical pain) which swaps out tool-gathering for puzzle-solving. The game that really stood out to me, however, was He Who Watches, a gravity-defying "dungeon puzzler" that's most easily summarised as Legend of Grimrock meets Portal.

Monday gaming news, the last part:

PowerWash Simulator's last free update is out now, letting you scrub up a subway train and polish a sculpture park
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/powerwash-simulators-last-free-update-is-out-now-letting-you-scrub-up-a-subway-train-and-polish-a-sculpture-park/
It's the end of the line for preposterously successful cleaning sim PowerWash Simulator. The last of its free updates has emerged squeaky clean from developer FuturLab's power shower, representing station terminus for PowerWash Simulator as a game still in active development.

'The journey was long': two years later than planned, boomer shooter Project Warlock 2 blasts out of early access with a 50% discount and a request to submit your own loading screen tips
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-journey-was-long-two-years-later-than-planned-boomer-shooter-project-warlock-2-blasts-out-of-early-access-with-a-50-percent-discount-and-a-request-to-submit-your-own-loading-screen-tips/
Project Warlock was a thoroughly entertaining FPS throwback which caught the bloody wave of the boomer shooter revival right at its height in 2018. As such, I was excited by the prospect of a sequel, and one was duly revealed at the PC Gaming Show in 2021.
Then, years passed. My eyesight deteriorated, flecks of grey appeared in my beard, and my short-term memory was obliterated by a delightful bout of Covid. As such, I completely forgot about Project Warlock 2 until this very week, when the game sprung unexpectedly out of early access.

You get a unique relic for beating Elden Ring Nightreign's 'supposed to lose' tutorial boss, but don't worry: There's a buried menu option to fight him again
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/elden-ring-nightreign-how-to-replay-tutorial/
In grand FromSoftware tradition, Elden Ring Nightreign begins with a fight you're supposed to lose. As is also tradition, it's perfectly possible to gut it out and beat him anyway if you're enough of a toxic Souls tryhard cool guy.
Nightreign's tutorial fight even furnishes you with a one-of-a-kind relic for your troubles. It's nothing to write home about on its own, but could be handy before you're able to build up your collection. And before you feel like you missed out, there's an option to replay the tutorial that's buried in a menu in perfectly obtuse Nightreign fashion.
>> Also, the game might feel familiar, and that’s because the artist took inspiration from Dark Souls.

'We wish to express our deepest regret': Bulletstorm and Outriders dev People Can Fly suspends unannounced projects in yet another wave of gaming layoffs
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/we-wish-to-express-our-deepest-regret-bulletstorm-and-outriders-dev-people-can-fly-suspends-unannounced-projects-in-yet-another-wave-of-gaming-layoffs/
Sebastian Wojciechowski, People Can Fly CEO, shared some disheartening news in an announcement on LinkedIn on Sunday. Not only is the studio indefinitely suspending two games it had in development, it is also scaling down its staff. Both are the result of negotiations with a publisher falling through and a lack of adequate resources and funding to continue the projects, codenamed Gemini and Bifrost.

Here's another terrifying trailer for that creepy retro survival horror game that's half FMV, half pixel-art
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/heres-another-terrifying-trailer-for-that-creepy-retro-survival-horror-game-thats-half-fmv-half-pixel-art/
I've been spooked by plenty of pixel-art horror games, like Signalis or Look Outside. But I can't think of an FMV game that's truly frightened me. The bit in The 7th Guest where hands try to come out of the painting seemed eerie when I was a kid, but now it's pure kitsch. Watching the first trailer for Tenebris Somnia made me think I might be properly frightened by FMV in a videogame at last.

Lethal Company's biggest update for months is finally out, and with it comes the much awaited first look at a new monster
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/lethal-companys-biggest-update-for-months-is-finally-out-and-with-it-comes-the-much-awaited-first-look-at-a-new-monster/
It's been a hot minute since we got an update for Lethal Company, but Zeekerss has finally answered players' hopes and wishes with a chunky slab of new content. Available to play right now, v70 brings an update to the mansion, overhauled features, and probably the best part, a scary new monster.

American RuneScape players are recreating the Boston Tea Party after Jagex hiked taxes: 'They took a page from the British Empire, rather poetic from a British game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/american-old-school-runescape-players-are-recreating-the-boston-tea-party-after-jagex-hiked-taxes-they-took-a-page-from-the-british-empire-rather-poetic-from-a-british-game/
Old School RuneScape (OSRS) recently made a tweak to its economy, with developer Jagex announcing an increased Grand Exchange (GE) tax. The GE is RuneScape's trading hub and Jagex acknowledges that "any update involving your hard-earned gold can be sensitive," so the developer went into some detail on why it was making the change: the short version is the game needs more money sinks to curb inflation.
The main change is an increase in the taxation on any sale from 1% to 2%, which may seem minor but represents a doubling of the rate, with most of the money raised in this way being removed from the game and keeping the economy healthy.
"The goal here isn’t to punish trade," says Jagex, "but to ensure that Old School continues to have a vibrant and sustainable economy for years to come. Increasing the GE tax is one of the most effective ways we can do that."
All very grown-up and Financial Times of them but, OSRS players being OSRS players, the masses are revolting (thanks, GR+). Developer Jagex is a British company, and any Jagex developers in-game are distinguished by a little golden crown icon. Thus an American player decided the appropriate response to the new GE tax was to recreate the Boston Tea Party.

Videocardz posted another leak, a review leak: 

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT review leak: beats RTX 5060 Ti in lows, loses in averages
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-review-leak-beats-rtx-5060-ti-in-lows-loses-in-averages

Slower but more consistent performance. Not amazing, but not too bad.

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if those are the real prices in the US once you add the tariffs on top of the MSRP, but we'll see in 3 days.

And just like I disliked Yeston doing it, I dislike PowerColor having the cards run at dofferent speeds based on the memory capacity. It just adds more confusion.

I had to. Sorry, not sorry.

I don't know if I'd trust that cable.

AMD Justifies The Launch of The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB Variant, Says Market Demand Is Still There Despite Just $50 Difference from 16GB Model

https://wccftech.com/amd-justifies-the-launch-of-the-radeon-rx-9060-xt-8gb/

Quite the shame that the 3060 is still the only "60 class" gpu that still has 12GB of vram. Like I get the memory bus and all that but man, 8GB is too little and 16GB is too much. If they continued with 12GB with 192 bit memory bus, would have been perfect. 

TSMC’s 1.4nm Process, Also Called Angstrom, Will Make Even The Most Lucrative Clients Think Twice When Placing Orders, With An Estimate Claiming That Each Wafer Will Cost $45,000

https://wccftech.com/tsmc-1-4nm-angstrom-process-said-to-cost-45000-per-wafer/

Whether or not you blame Nvidia, AMD or Intel for the gpu prices, TSMC is going to be one of the big reasons gpu prices will continue to go up. This is why Nvidia focused so heavily on upscaling all these years because either you are going to pay the big bucks to get expensive gpus to get that native performance or the gpus will need help reaching high fps with upscalers.

MSI Debuts The Smallest GeForce RTX 5060 GPUs: RTX 5060 8G INSPIRE ITX And RTX 5060 8G CYCLONE OC

https://wccftech.com/msi-releases-rtx-5060-8g-inspire-itx-and-rtx-5060-8g-cyclone-oc/

Intel Officially Confirms Nova Lake-S & Nova Lake-U After P-Core Only Bartlett Lake-S For Desktops & Panther Lake For Laptops

https://wccftech.com/intel-confirms-nova-lake-s-nova-lake-u-p-core-only-bartlett-lake-s-desktops-panther-lake-laptops/

FEVM unveils first eGPU with Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink support, up to RTX 4090 Laptop GPU

https://videocardz.com/newz/fevm-unveils-first-egpu-with-thunderbolt-5-and-oculink-support-up-to-rtx-4090-laptop-gpu

Epic Games to include open-source Arm Accuracy Super Resolution (ASR) into Fornite

https://videocardz.com/newz/epic-games-to-include-open-source-arm-accuracy-super-resolution-asr-into-fornite

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti appears on Steam Hardware Survey list before Radeon RX 9070 series

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-rtx-5060-ti-appears-on-steam-hardware-survey-list-before-radeon-rx-9070-series

So RTX 5070 and 5060Ti are on the Steam hardware survey but the RX 9070 and 9070 XT are not. So much for the AMD is gaining a lot of market share idea.

Here come the Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

GOG presents the Story Rich Promo, featuring up to 95% discounts during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250603_story_rich_promo.

Steam

• Ballionaire, that has a demo, will be 30% off until the 16th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2667120/Ballionaire/
• Cuisineer will have a 50% discount until the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1963570/Cuisineer/
• Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash, that has a demo, will also be 50% until the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1877020/Jujutsu_Kaisen_Cursed_Clash/
• Togges has a massive 94% discount until June 16: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1550270/Togges/
• And Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise has an even bigger deal being 95% off until June, the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1271100/Deadly_Premonition_2_A_Blessing_in_Disguise/
• These are the new sales/events:
  • The DC franchise Sale has games from their characters up to 90% off until the 9th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34133273/sale/dcfranchisejune2025
  • The Tomb Raider Remastered Sale has the two collection of remastered games on sale with up to 60% discounts. One deal will end on June 9 and the other on June 10, for whatever reason: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/31936442/sale/TombRaiderRemasteredSale
  • Publisher Neon Doctrine presents the Sun’s Out, Games Out Sale, with some of its games up to 75% off. The deals vary between the 9th and the 13th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32940668/sale/NeonDoctrineHotSummer25
  • The Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise Sale features up to 75% discounts. The deal on one of the games end on June 9 while the deals on the others will last until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/39026134/sale/Yu-Gi-OhSummerSale
  • The last one is the Dear Villagers Publisher Sale, with up to 90% discounts until the 16th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/dearvillagerspublishersale2025
• And there’s also new weeklong deals, of course.

The Humble Store has the Dear Villagers Publisher Sale, with games up to 90% off during 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/dear-villagers-publisher-sale/.

And at Fanatical we find two new deals:

• Publisher Dear Villagers/Plug in Digital puts its games on sale with up to 92% discounts during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/plug-in-digital
• The Summer Mystery Bundle 2025 is here with up to 10 unknown games to get during the next 27 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/summer-mystery-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Tomb Raider: Legend Got a 10GB AI-enhanced HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/tomb-raider-legend-got-a-10gb-ai-enhanced-hd-texture-pack/
Tomb Raider fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘Evgeshajk’ has released a new HD Texture Pack for Tomb Raider: Legend that overhauls all of its textures. This pack is compatible with both the Next-Gen and Standard versions of TR: Legend. Thus, I highly recommend downloading it if you are planning to replay this old Tomb Raider game.
Going into more details, Evgeshajk used AI tools in order to enhance the quality of the vanilla textures. As such, the modded textures retain the art style of the originals. At the same time, they also look sharper and more detailed than before.
(...)
Do also note that the Kazakhstan level will crash if you have enabled the Next-Gen Mode. This is an issue that plagued the original game, too. To put it simply, these crashes are not caused by the HD Texture Pack. So, if you reach that level, you should switch to the Standard Mode. Then, once you complete it, you can re-enable the Next-Gen Mode.
For those unaware, Tomb Raider: Legend came out on both PS2 and PS3. In other words, it was a cross-gen game. So, on PC, you can enable both the Standard (PS2) and Next-Gen (PS3) modes.
>> The article has some comparison screenshots and a video.

New mods bring Crysis-like sparks & breakable objects to Starfield
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-mods-bring-crysis-like-sparks-breakable-objects-to-starfield/
Starfield fans, get ready for a treat. New mods have been released that add to the game Crysis-like sparks, as well as breakable objects. These mods will enhance your gaming experience. So, make sure to use them if you’re still playing it.
Going into more details, the HPE Better Metal Impact Effects Mod adds more sparks to the game. Moreover, all spark particles now have collisions. Sparks can now bounce, and they can realistically fall to the ground. As such, they will not clip to the terrain.
(...)
Modder ‘halrixx’ has also released some other cool mods for Starfield that add breakable objects. Right now, you can download mods that let you destroy the game’s beer crates, mugs, foam containers, and wine glass bottles. These mods will make your fights more interesting in areas that contain these objects.
To be honest, I’d love to see similar mods for pretty much all of the game’s objects. I know this is a huge task, but this is something that will greatly benefit Starfield. So, let’s hope that halrixx will keep working on these types of mods.
>> There are a couple of videos, both from the first mod.

GAMING NEWS

STALKER-inspired FPS MMORPG, PIONER, will get a Steam Next Fest 2025 Demo
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/stalker-inspired-fps-mmorpg-pioner-will-get-a-steam-next-fest-2025-demo/
GFA Games has announced that PIONER, its post-apocalyptic MMO shooter, will get a playable multiplayer demo during Steam Next Fest. In other words, the demo will be available between June 9th and June 16th. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new gameplay trailer that you can find below.

First gameplay & cinematic in-engine trailers for The Witcher 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-cinematic-in-engine-trailers-for-the-witcher-4/
CD Project RED has released a new cinematic in-engine trailer for The Witcher 4, showcasing its glorious graphics. Not only that, but the team shared the first gameplay trailer for it. Yep, you read that right. This is your first proper look at The Witcher 4. So, don’t skip on these trailers.
>> was quick to make a thread about this.

DayZ Title Update 1.28 Released, Bringing New Major Features
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/dayz-title-update-1-28-released-bringing-new-major-features/
Bohemia Interactive has released Title Update 1.28 for DayZ, and shared its full patch notes. The team has also shared a new trailer for it. So, let’s take a closer look at what this patch brings to the table.

The second part of the gaming news:

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake is such a badly kept secret it's been leaked by a statue maker who just assumed we all knew it was coming
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/assassins-creed/assassins-creed-black-flag-remake-is-such-a-badly-kept-secret-its-been-leaked-by-a-statue-maker-who-just-assumed-we-all-knew-it-was-coming/
In days of yore, before we had all this internet nonsense, leaks happened organically, concretely. They happened in printed books and in frantic conversations in the cloisters. In the time of the Roman Republic, unannounced videogames were leaked by loose-lipped sculptors in unguarded moments, out of their gourds on hippocras.
A more civilised age, and one we've recaptured thanks to the good folks at PureArts, a merch-maker that deals in a line of swish Assassin's Creed statues, featuring the likes of Ezio, Altair, Kassandra, Bayek, and all the other hooded murderers you know and love from Ubisoft's long-running Pope-fighting sim.
Back in March (via Insider Gaming), PureArts took to the airwaves to show off its range of AC homunculi, and it wasn't long before eagle-eyed fans noted that one protagonist was strangely absent: AC4's Edward Kenway. They asked what was going on and, in a moment of confusion, one of the hosts seemingly gave the whole game away about the rumoured upcoming remake of Black Flag.

IO's James Bond game is called 007 First Light, will be revealed later this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/ios-james-bond-game-is-called-007-first-light-will-be-revealed-later-this-week/
IO Interactive has announced the name of its upcoming James Bond game, and says we'll get out first look at it this week. The title is 007 First Light which certainly sounds like an origin story, and the studio has previously made clear this is what to expect.

Surprise! Dune: Awakening will have private servers at launch after all, where players can disable taxes and enable 'free-for-all' PvP
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/dune-awakening-will-have-private-servers-at-launch-where-players-can-disable-taxes-and-enable-free-for-all-pvp/
Dune: Awakening is out in three days (for deluxe and ultimate edition pre-purchasers) but here's a last minute surprise: the survival MMO will support private servers. Funcom announced today that for Dune: Awakening "rentable private servers will be available from head start launch on June 5th!"

A new Dungeons and Dragons 'singleplayer action-adventure' game is coming from the former director of Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/a-new-dungeons-and-dragons-singleplayer-action-adventure-game-is-coming-from-the-former-director-of-respawns-star-wars-jedi-games/
Larian is out of the D&D game and that's left Wizards of the Coast scrambling a little bit to figure out how to follow it up. Today the studio revealed at least one of its plans for a post-Baldur's Gate 3 world: A publishing deal with Giant Skull for "an all-new singleplayer action-adventure title set in the world of Dungeons and Dragons."
You may recall Giant Skull as the studio founded in 2024 by Stig Asmussen, the director of Star Wars Jedi: games, who left Respawn in 2023 "to pursue other adventures." Well, a change is as good as a rest, I suppose, even if it's just a change of scenery.

Jonathan Joss, who appeared in Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption, shot dead in Texas
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/jonathan-joss-who-appeared-in-cyberpunk-2077-and-red-dead-redemption-shot-dead-in-texas/
The San Antonio Express News reports that Jonathan Joss, an actor who appeared in videogames including Red Dead Redemption, Days Gone, Wasteland 3, and Cyberpunk 2077, as well as the long-running King of the Hill animated series, was killed over the weekend in an apparent dispute with a neighbor. He was 59.
>> I wasn’t sure to post this article, because I think it’s main point is the murder part. If you want to talk about it, CaptainExplosion has made a thread about it.

Torchlight 3 studio Echtra Games, acquired by Zynga in 2021 to help it move into PC and console gaming, is being closed without doing that
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/torchlight-3-studio-echtra-games-acquired-by-zynga-in-2021-to-help-it-move-into-pc-and-console-gaming-is-being-closed-without-doing-that/
Four years after acquiring the studio, Zynga has confirmed with IGN that Torchlight 3 developer Echtra Games is being closed.
"Zynga has made the difficult decision to cease operations at its Echtra studio, ending development on future titles and reducing roles," the company told the site. "This decision is part of a strategic realignment of the company's resources and priorities. We will work closely with impacted employees so they are treated with the utmost respect and consideration as we navigate this difficult process."

Elden Ring Nightreign is finally getting Duo Expeditions as FromSoftware caves into pleas from players who can only find one other friend to match with
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-nightreign-is-finally-getting-duo-expeditions-as-fromsoftware-caves-into-pleas-from-players-who-can-only-find-one-other-friend-to-match-with/
Elden Ring Nightreign has had a slightly tumultuous launch, at least for a FromSoftware game. Despite achieving a monumental 2 million copies sold in just the first 24 hours, Nightreign also had a somewhat poor reception, with it garnering Mixed user reviews on Steam (though it's since picked up to Mostly Positive).
Since then, FromSoftware has gone into damage control mode. Nightreign's first major update saw big changes to its singleplayer, adding in an auto-resurrect and other buffs after admitting that the game wasn't really balanced with solo in mind. But that's not the end of the patches.
"The Night is far from over," FromSoftware says in a social media post. "In addition to the DLC releasing later this year, new additions will be gradually implemented, including enhanced fights against existing Nightlords starting this month, as well as Duo Expeditions at a later date. Thank you for your support."

FF14 unofficial census finds what we were all pretty much feeling—before patch 7.25, Dawntrail's playerbase has likely been on the decline
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/ff14-unofficial-census-finds-what-we-were-all-pretty-much-feeling-before-patch-7-25-dawntrails-playerbase-has-likely-been-on-the-decline/
I concur with PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor, my fellow Final Fantasy 14 enjoyer on our illustrious staff, that FF14's Occult Crescent patch has made the game feel like an MMO again. I actually got downright emotional, hopping into my first critical encounter and seeing swarms of strangers crowding around a chance to give a boss a beatdown: 'Oh,' I thought, 'I'm playing an MMO again'.
But with that joy came a recognition of almost a full year of malaise, seeing desolate friend lists and linkshells lie empty. A malaise that, at least unofficially, has been backed up by numbers (thanks, Automaton).

Splitgate 2's official launch is just days away as devs tease 'a massive surprise' which will be unveiled at Summer Game Fest
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/splitgate-2s-official-launch-is-just-days-away-as-devs-tease-a-massive-surprise-which-will-be-unveiled-at-summer-game-fest/
Splitgate 2 has been in its open beta for about a month, with the first-person arena shooter opening its doors at the beginning of May alongside "a massive amount of new content", and now developers 1047 Games are gearing up for its main release.

GN's review of the 5060 is out:

Tl;dw: Waste of sand.

Also, he mentioned several times to not buy it and wait for the 9060XT reviews coming out in 2 days, so I'm pretty confident he has the numbers already and they're crushing the 5060, but can't legally say so yet.

The games for Humble Choice June 2025 have been revealed.

• Biped
• Dungeons of Hinterberg
• Havendock
• Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered
• Nobody Wants to Die
• Sker Ritual
• Tchia
• Warhammer 40K: Boltgun